


It was just a silly little game

by thedrip



Category: Alice (2009)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-16
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-01-19 16:13:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1475983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedrip/pseuds/thedrip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Hatter met a long time ago. This is their story</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! First attempt. I have grand ideas. Let me know if you see any problems!

The first time Jack Heart met Hatter he was young. The young prince was quiet but it was usually just because his thoughts went much faster than his mouth. 15 was the tender age if he remembered correctly but those details tended to slip past him these days. When his mind wandered to the day the minute subtleties did not go amiss. 

The air was cool and his breathe looked icy. It was the first time he'd wandered into the woods, alone and without any spades to watch guard. He crept quietly over moss covered terrain in the dark winter night, gripping his royal coat tighter around his arms to keep the chill at bay. From every direction he heard shuffling, purring, no snarling and he kneeled in the darkness to keep himself hidden. It could have been anything. He often heard the servants speak of dangerous wolves that haunted the woods, or even of mad murderous men who chopped young men and women into little pieces. When the sound finally caught up with his eyes he could see men, or at least what he thought were men, trekking through the wood in red plated armor. His body froze at the mere sight as they inched their way closer. Surely they had seen him as it seemed they were heading right towards him. 

He shut his eyes so hard that it felt as if he were being blanketed in a white light when the faint sound of laughter came from further down the hill. 

"Oi! Took you long enough. Do you have any idea how long I've waited?" Jack peeked open an eye to see where the voice was coming from. A man, 18 maybe, with a beat up top hat and a wicked grin. "You got the goods?" He asked them flatly, eyes fixated on the strange knights. They silently handed him a briefcase which he opened with a raised brow. He stared into for a moment before closing it and keeping his gaze poker straight. 

"In one hour, a shipment of fresh oysters will be delivered to her." He said and waited for a moment. "Your deed is done now piss off." He said dauntlessly to the...creatures in red armor. The knights quickly scurried off making those horrifying noises reminiscent of wild dogs and Jack, frightened, focused on the strange mans piercing eyes. Almost without thought the man turned his head toward Jack and winked before he walked casually further into the woods. Something about this dark stranger struck him deep in his belly and the image of him stayed ever present in his thoughts.

It was 5 years before he saw him again.

At 20, the prince had gotten more wits about himself and was able to articulate his thoughts more precisely. He was engaged to the Duchess, a woman his mother had created as the perfect wife. She was beautiful and was unstoppable as a sexual being, but he bored of her easily. He'd been enlisted by his mother to check on a tea shop, something that seemed far below him but because it was his mothers request he did it. 

It was in the city which he didn't visit often. It was dingy, dangerous and smelled of death but it was at least a change of pace. He'd grown tired of spending his days in the casino. Arriving at the tea shop only further proved his point. He strode through the long corridor, peeking at every Tom, Dick, and Harry bargaining for that new fresh feeling that only they could provide. Jack never used them himself, he downright refused. Every single solitary emotion he felt was good enough for him and he didn't need to pollute his body like these people did.

At the end of the corridor was a door. One almost didn't see it if one weren't playing close attention, but Jack saw it and he was convinced this independent contractor must have occupied it. He made his way to the front door and opened it to a room filled with grass. Quickly, he stepped through and closed the door behind him. Behind the desk was a familiar face, one he didn't remember at first but had somehow seemed ingrained in his memory. "Are you Hatter?" He asked, straight to the point without any dilly dallying. 

"'Oo's askin?" The man replied with a grin that hit Jack in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling he only remembered experiencing once when he was a teenager. 

He gathered his thoughts again and cleared his throat. "I've been sent here for a package. I assume you're the man I'm looking for."

His grin widened to show the dimples in his cheeks. "I certainly 'ope so." The words slipped out his mouth so easily and he stood up to circle the prince. It wasn't until he was much closer that Jack finally recognized him. He was the bloke in the woods who was making a mysterious deal with some red knights. He was just as cheeky, that's for sure. 

Jack grew impatient with his silence and grabbed at the mans wrist. It was like electric current, pulsing through his veins almost immediately he ignored the feeling, played it off as if it were nerves. "Have you got what I've come for or not?" He asked sternly, peering deep into Hatters eyes. 

"Maybe..." He teased and paused for a moment. "Come with me." The invitation was inviting but Jack learned never to trust the filth that worked with his mother. He let go of the other mans wrist which registered more a disappointment than it should have. "I'm not here to play games with you." He replied sternly.

"Well you're either going to play games with me or you won't get what you came here for." The Hatter retorted, unapologetically, for once staring him right in the eye. With a heavy sigh Jack nodded his head. "Alright." Was the only words Jack could seem to come up with. 

They walked through a door on the opposite side of the room and walked along the edges of the city. Jack had never been through this part before, never saw the crumbling brick up close. It was horrifying, the state in which the city had deteriorated. The hatted stranger lead him into a hallway with doors and he stood closely behind Hatter to make sure no one had followed them. He tried not to notice the warmth between their bodies as they stood close but it was beginning to gnaw at his brain. 

Instantly he felt himself being pulled into the door. "Hold on!!" Hatter yelled as they stepped inside of a large old bus quickly thrusting downward, like a very large lift. When it finally came to a stop it jerked one more time before another door opened. Jack was absolutely unsure of what he'd gotten himself into but he was starting to regret his decision.

"Thanks mate." The Hatter said to the driver as they stepped into a large auditorium. 

"The Great Library." Jack whispered, almost as if uttering it's name might pop it out of existence. "But this is been missing for years.." He continued, turning back to face Hatter. "I don't understand, why have you brought me here?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"This is the home to the Resistance. The people here plan to overthrow the Queen and her tyranny." He circled closely around the Prince to grab ahold of the railings over looking the main floor. "We use the library as a home base and refugee camp." 

Jack looked out on all the people who looked tired, hungry or even homeless. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked, noticing the look on solitude on the mans face. "You know who I am." And he did, Jack was certain. Everyone knew who the Prince was. 

The Hatter turned to him and grinned the same grin that erupted in the pit of his stomach. "I don't know if you know this but we've met before." He paused for a moment to let Jack sink into his memory. Oh yes, he remembered. It was one thing he couldn't forget. "You didn't know who those emissaries were. She's kept you in the dark all these years." Jack was confused but after a moment of thinking understood. 

"You see I know a revolutionary when I see one and all those years ago, I saw that in you." The Hatter pointed a finger at Jack as he said this, pressing ever so lightly against his tight-knot stomach. Jack was stunned and continued to stare out into the Library, at all the people who he yearned to help. 

"There's someone I'd like you to meet."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Hatters perspective...

The long corridor lead to another long corridor which wrapped around the library. If one turned around in a circle they'd instantly be lost but lucky for them Hatter had an impeccable sense of direction, or just a streak of good luck. It really could have been either. He must have had luck since his plan to get Jack into the Resistance seemed to be working. Hatter had only joined the Resistance about one year ago. It all stemmed back to a very particular and special ring. 

\-----------------------------------------

The ring was a family heirloom, a portal to another dimension, something your average everyday wonder lander wouldn't have access to. The Hatters were an old mystical family who for many years ruled the great kingdom of Wonderland. When he was 14, Hatters father died in the Great War against the Queen of Hearts and he inherited the ring. Panicked that the Queen would follow him, Hatter went into the other dimension. He stayed there a few days, got to understand a few things about the other side and when he felt like it would be safe again he traveled back through. Little did he know the queen and her minions would be meeting him at the other side or that a man, late forties, would have followed him through.

Even at such a young age the Hatter knew how to strike up a deal. In exchange for his freedom, Hatter offered up this peculiar man. Unable to resist a good deal, the Queen accepted and let Hatter go for a couple of years. 

4 or so years later Hatter found himself tied up and air lifted to the Queen. Now she demanded more bodies and in exchange offered a lot in the city with the opportunity to become rich. All he had to do was run a simple little tea shop, offering the city's clientele the luxury of heightened emotions. It seemed as if that frightened man who had followed him was a brilliant scientist and had discovered a way to extract emotions from these people, "Oysters" as they would soon be known as. Unable to escape and fearful she might otherwise just steal the ring, Hatter agreed. 

So, he did a shady deal in the Forrest, wrangled up a couple of junkies and homeless people and she left him alone. That was until another 4 years. 

He wasn't sure how it happened or when but one morning Hatter woke up with a splitting headache and a couple of new bruises. From it's case the ring was gone, the glass around it destroyed as well as a number of his personal belongings. She'd taken it, he knew it had been her. So he went to see her, on his own accord this time. 

"Who in the bloody hell do you think you are?" She asked him as he entered her thrown room. This was after he'd ran through the casino and knocked down a number of cards in the interim. 

"You've stolen it, I want it back." He said, all fiery passion and spit and blood. "Give it to me right now!!!" 

The Queen turned around with a smirk, extending her hand in front of her face as if she couldn't help but glow in its sparkle. "Oh you mean this old thing?" And at that moment two spades grabbed ahold of Hatter so tightly that he feel as if his limbs might just squeeze off. "What on earth makes you think I will give this back to you?"

He wanted to say because it was a family heirloom, wanted to tell her that his father was a greater leader than she ever was or would be. All these things were at the forefront of his thoughts but once he opened his mouth not a single one of them came out. After a moment she raised a brow and scoffed. "I didn't think so." She grabbed the ring off her finger and sealed it in a little box which one of her many men took away for safe keeping. 

"Here's what's going to happen my little feisty friend. You're going to continue running that little tea shop of yours and keep my royal subjects... how do you say? Happy. You'll forget about this ring and will continue to market our wonderful product. Do I make myself ab-so-lutely clear?" She asked him, her last word a mere breathes reach from his bloody face. He nodded, unable to do much of anything else.

"Good. Now get this foul creature out of my sight!!" She demanded and almost as quickly as her mouth was open the guards ushered him back to the city and into his home. 

Lost and scared, Hatter drank the last of his 'euphoria' and sat in his tea shop all night. He was determined to take down the whole system and get his ring back, even if it meant his demise. Feeling as if he was going mad, Hatter punched the air and screamed "YOU'LL BLOODY PAY FOR THIS!!!" Just then, a dark figure sat next to him. "Are you the one they call Hatter?" He asked him. This was when Hatter met Dodo.

\------------------------------------------

This was who he was taking Jack Heart to, the man who had recruited Hatter himself. If only he could find that bloody door! He searched each frame until he came across the one that had his initials. He smirked as he figured his old brain of his worked still, despite the abuse he'd subjected it to over the last few years. 

Before he decided to knock he turned around to inspect Jack. He had seen Jack once more although Jack hadn't noticed him. When he was being drug out of the Casino, Hatter peered at him and his fiancée, deep in a sweaty tangled tryst. He looked familiar then and it could only mean one thing. So finding him at his doorstep later was anything but a surprise to Hatter. Even in that one year he'd matured quite a bit and was definitely someone the Hatter might deem fit. He straightened his tie and the young prince veered back for a second before Hatter showed him his hands and allowed him to finish. "You've go' a look nice. This man is very..." He put his finger up to the handsome prince's mouth. "very important. "

Once he was satisfied he turned around to the door and wrapped a rhythm that he'd made up as a code to say that he was at the other end. From inside he heard a low voice. "Enter..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission.

Jack wasn't even sure he understood what was going on much less decided to join any "resistance" but this Hatter fellow seemed to think that his involvement was inevitable, and perhaps it was. For a long time the Prince had desired to see his mother silenced and it seemed as if he wasn't the only one. When the low voice spoke he entered. The room was dimly lit with candles dripping from their stands and the voice spoke up from behind him. 

"It's been a very long time since we've seen each other your royal highness." It announced and when Jack turned his body around he saw none other than Dodo, a rogue spade who'd fled the Queens side during times of war. He hadn't seen him since he was a mere child. 

"You're leading the resistance?" The Prince scoffed and circled the Dodo, peering at him through spoiled eyes. "I'd have thought it would be someone more..." He waved his hand in the air with the grace of a Prince. "..intelligent. He finished, taking his stance across from the other man. "Not a traitor and a coward."

Hatter stood off to the side a the room, obviously perplexed by the situation. Jack noticed the subtle shifting he made, as if he were wildly uncomfortable. "I left the royal guard to start an organization meant to diminish her power over our great land. We were unfortunately unsuccessful during the war but in the meanwhile we've kept the citizens and our cities fed and nourished because of the drought your mother has laid to waste on our poor kingdom." He spoke so courageously that the Prince was finding it hard to ignore. 

Dodo sighed and made his way to a desk chair. There was a motive in his step but the Prince was unsure of its intentions. Was he pulling out a gun to kill the young man? That would surely end the resistance and cause massive upheaval of this hidden library. But no, a simple box was removed and he politely handed it to the Prince. 

"I'm sure you'll recognize this." He said to Jack, a shit eating grin on his face. Jack opened the box to unveil a toy that he'd played with as a child. A toy horse to be precise. He turned it around in his hands and looked back up at Dodo. "How did you get this?" He asked, curious as to how a mere child's toy was relevant. 

"It was seized from the battle grounds of the Great War." He reached out his hands to the toy. "May I?" He asked, taking it in his hands. The Prince handed Dodo the toy, unsure of what he intended to show him. "There's a snatch." He said, pressing a small button on the side of the toy. Inside was a tangled mess of wire and tubing. "This mechanism was a trigger to bombs that were set off during the course of the war. The Queen would allow you to use it during battles to create an element of surprise to the fight. It worked well, killed a great many people." The Prince just stared at the Dodo as he spoke. He didn't want to believe it, but the wiring inside of the toy was otherwise unexplainable and it did sound like his mother.

He took a moment to inspect it. He'd known a thing or two about trigger mechanics and this most definitely was a trigger. He thought on it for a while until he looked back up at the Dodo. "I assume you mean to solicit services from me for your Resistance." He said coldly, peering at Hatter out of the corner of his eye who visibly shook at it. 

Dodo looked at him again, searching to make sure the young Prince was ready. "Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to gather intel at the palace and debrief Hatter once a week. Do you accept your mission?" He asked, but it was less of a question and more of a demand.

"I do." He agreed quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First debrief

And so followed the weeks. Hatter and Jack met up at his tea shop once a week. Jack had told the Queen that he'd like to oversee the operations at the tea shop and she marveled at his motivation. So, once a week Jack would bring a shipment of tea and debrief Hatter on what he observed. His first week he arrived in the same cordial manner, a mere job than a welcome social interaction. He came into Hatters office this time without knocking. Setting the cases of tea next to the desk, Jack sat in the seat across from Hatter who, like always, had a smug grin on his face.

"It's lovely to see you again, 'ansome." The Hatter said, more of an accusation than a compliment. Jack ignored it, moving on immediately to the business at hand. 

"I have a great deal to go over if you don't mind." He responded even though reddening tint to his cheek suggested he had felt inclined to hear more compliments. Hatter noticed these small things and generally had a hard time concentrating when he did notice them. 

"Shoot." Responded the Hatter, his grin unwavering. One might expect that Hatter had done this many times before, and perhaps it was true but Jack seemed to easily bring out his flirty side. 

Jack removed a file from a briefcase and handed it over to Hatter, their fingers touching briefly as the paper was exchanged. Hatter found the slight touch exhilarating and choked back a comment. 

"Over the past three years the Queen has cultivated a scientist, codename: The Carpenter. He's the scientist who discovered the device to make your infamous teas by sucking the life force out of oysters. I have yet to find any flaws in his background but I assume that digging won't be a problem on your end." It was amazing how professional he was composing himself, as his cheek didn't seem to pale one bit. 

"So this 'scientist', you speak of, has he worked for your mum long?" He asked, taking a pen out to make notes. Well to look like he was anyway. All he was really doing was doodling.

"I only remember seeing him eleven years old and on. He's got an unfamiliar scent to him. Not sure where he might have come from." He responded honestly. "Do you think he could be from the alternate world?" He asked, curious but still calm and collected. 

"Not sure, I'll 'ave to check the library, see if I can get a birth record. For now you should keep your eye on him, figure out if you can what makes him tick. This might be our ticket to overpowering the Queen, so tread lightly." Hatter was usually all over the place but right now kept it calm and collected. He stood from behind the desk and nodded his head at the Prince who followed suit . 

They stood there for a moment, quiet but the sound of their breathing and the madness on the other side of the door. Hatters eyes softened. "You're doing the right thing, you know that don't you?" He asked, never blinking, even for a second. 

The Prince looked down in awe at him and cleared his throat before he spoke. "I do. I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Hatter frowned for a moment before excusing the Prince. 

"Until a weeks time." The words were almost too quiet to pick up on but the Prince got the message quickly and left the chamber. 

 

\------------------------------------------

Hatter sat awake that night thinking over about their meeting. Not about the logistics or the new information they'd gotten or even how useful this Prince had proven himself to be. He thought about the blue of his twinkling eyes and the way his words were cold, but yet somehow had an undertone of love and caring. He perplexed Hatter by his inability to see the mans true intentions. 

He recalled the night he'd spied the Prince in his boudoir, recalled the way the sweat rolled down his muscular frame. Hatter thought about how he wished he could have watched longer, how he wished he could have touched his glistening body if only for a second. 

He was alone in his office, which was really just his home, since he didn't actually have a home anymore. The doormouse had gone home hours ago and the patrons had all left. And his mind, it did so wander. 

Until a rap at the door distracted him. He stood up, angry that his fantasy had been interrupted. Stomping over to the door, he pulled it open with "Who are you and what in all of Wonderland do you want with me at this ungodly hour?"

A haggard man with barely enough meat on his bones, looked up at Hatter. 

"Can you spare some happiness for a tired old man?"

Hatter stared at him for a second and then opened the door wider. "Come on in Ratty."


	5. Chapter 5

By week two, Jack had felt as if he’d prematurely blown his load on the information he’d given in the first week, so to speak. When he arrived at the tea shop he took a mental note on all the familiar things, lest he need to remember the finer details of his visits. He still didn’t trust this Hatter character and whatever he could do to save his own hide was ideal. The floors were an odd green color and seemed to be growing right out of the ground in small blades, his furniture mostly fuzzy, and a couple of expertly placed colored lights to illuminate certain aspects of the room. It seemed as if the Hatter had gone since there was nothing but the noise of the tea house when he entered. “Hatter?” the Prince called out, “I’m here with your daily delivery.” This was code, in case any of the Queens men should be about.

Out the darkness of a shadow a man appeared and Jack immediately stood at attention, ready to strike if the other man made a move toward his safety. He calmed when he noticed that it was merely the Hatter. He let his breathe normalize before he spoke again. “Do you have any idea how much I could have hurt you just now? I am not going to do a job well enough if my contact is dead.” He said accusingly although he let something in his voice slip so that it seemed almost endearing. He wasn’t sure why he’d said it in that way but it was done and time to move on.

“I’ve news of the Suits.” He said and then was when Hatter finally decided to speak.

“What about them? They’re pencils.”

The Prince looked inquisitively at him, as if a pencil was a code word. “I don’t follow.”

“All you’ve got’a do is break off the lead an’ they’re pointless.” With that came another big grin, the one that caused his stomach to flip rampantly like it had no consequence to his better self. It was a bad pun for sure, but Jack found it sort of endearing.

Without letting even so much as his own smirk appear, he continued. “That’s very funny but if you’re alright with it, I’d like to get to the matter at hand.”

“Of course.” The Hatter never seemed to let his smirk falter in the slightest and it made Jack incredibly uncomfortable. At the time, he chalked it up to bad feelings or an improper lunch.

“My dear mother has made more, and continues to make more, enough for an army. Have you found anything out about codename: Carpenter?” Jack asked, hoping the business at hand would keep his mind off of the way Hatter looked at him.

Hatter stared a moment before he spoke again. He shifted through files and files on his table. “Nothing as of yet, it seems that this carpenter is an illustrious man. Granted the library is bigger than a Jabberwock and there is still many more files to sort through. I’ll have more information once I get some lackeys to ‘elp.”

 

 

The next week Jack was more prepared. He practiced stoicism and professionalism. He practiced changing his thought patterns in case Hatter might try to bring him out of it. Still, Hatters eyes couldn’t escape his thoughts day to day. They shimmered, spoke of honesty even if Hatter himself was not an honest man. There was nothing out of the ordinary to report this week, which probably meant he should have stayed at the castle to avoid this character but it would be too risky not to do his weekly deliveries, and so he went.

When he arrived Hatter was already sitting at his desk, smirk resting on his face. And then at once all practice had gone out the window and his knees felt weakened. “You’ve no news to report.” Hatter said, as if he could read it on his face. Jack merely shook his head and placed the briefcase down next to the desk. “Well lucky for you, I do.” He shifted in his seat and signaled Jack to do the same.

Jack sat, registering his passiveness not as a loss, surprisingly. “I’m all ears.”

“We’ve scanned the entire library on codename: The Carpenter. Birth records, graduation photos and there’s nothing. Not a mention. ‘hoever he is, he’s not from Wonderland.” Hatter leaned forward in his seat, across the desk so that his face was close to the Princes. “We need you to gather more Intel, in any way you can, but be careful. If your cover is blown it could bring down the entire operation.”

Jack gulped a rather large gulp and nodded his head. Surely he could behave more valiantly, he was a prince after all. Still, it seemed each time he saw Hatter he became more and more weak. This had to stop. “I will do my best.” He simply replied, standing from his seat and heading toward the door. He had heard what he needed to hear, no point in prolonging his agony.

As he walked away he heard Hatter speak once more. “See you next week sweet cheeks.” And while his back was turned, Jack allowed one single smile before he went home.


	6. Chapter 6

Week 4 and the Hatter has already seen more results in Jack then any of his other contacts. Ratty had proved worthy at least once but had spent more time giving Hatter information on useless ordinary people then on people of actual interest. Hatter had waited for these meetings each week to savor the concept of being in company with such a respected ally. He also loved to embarrass the Prince with witty comments and often looked forward to seeing the light blush that appeared on his cheeks each time Hatter complimented his figure. 

When he walked through the door this week, Hatter lounged carelessly in his desk chair, boots on the wood leaving scuff marks each time they moved. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you cleaned up for me." The Prince did look more dressed up than usual. 

His demeanor didn't change as he perched onto the seat opposite Hatter. "I've got a banquet to attend with my fiancé directly after we've finished here. If I'm not there, mother will be suspicious." He said blandly, taking files out of his case. The tea sat in its usual spot, underneath the desk and quickly out of Jacks hands. It was alarming how quickly he wanted it away from him. 

"What news have you got?" He asked, now taking his boots off the desk and leaning forward toward the dirt he'd let collect there. 

"This...banquet is a fund-raider. The Queen is raising money to enhance the laboratories and hire more men to collect oysters through the looking glass." He looked at Hatter panicked, as if to ask him to just do something already. "We must stop her before she does any more damage." 

Hatter nodded in agreement, his face never so serious and looked back at Jack. "I can run it up to Dodo but it'll take a bit before it reaches the top." He said, honestly. He was merely a small part of a very large organization and hardly had the power to make a decision like that. 

"We haven't the time for that, it's time to strike!" Jack argued, this tint on his cheek this time not from embarrassment but anger. Hatter didn't like this sort of ruddy tone.

"I understand you think it's the perfect time but I can't do anything until I speak to my superiors. I'll meet with him when we're finished here but until then you're to act as if nothing is going on. It's for the protection of the resistance." It was often that Hatter found himself in a serious conversation. It seemed that this type of work required a great deal of it. To soothe his inner clown he had to find some way to make light of the situation. "Besides which your tuxedo is definitely going to get you shagged tonight." 

Jacks face changed then from livid to a tender indifference to an outright smile. Laughter followed soon after and Hatter smiled with him. "Don't worry about how you're doing. Because of your information we're making great strides, I promise you." That was unlike Hatter. He never offered sympathy to others before, not like this anyway. 

"I'll be seeing you next week." Jack said as he checked himself in the mirror. He did, in fact, look absolutely fantastic. "Looking forward to it." Hatter said, not even noticing that the Prince had just watched him staring. When he finally left Hatter let out a deep breathe. He didn't quite understand why he always felt so wiped out after their meetings. Perhaps it meant that he needed more comfortable places to sleep. 

Later that evening, after waiting several hours, Hatter finally got a chance to speak with Dodo. He explained the banquet, the Queens plans and the Princes position in the mess of it. After talking for nearly an hour, Dodo finally responded. 

"Your contact has given us some very insightful information but as of right this moment we have neither the manpower nor the resources to stop it." He said, calmly and cooly. It was clear Dodo didn't have much faith in Hatter but he at least heard the information he had to give. 

Hatter had to accept the terms and would explain it away at next weeks meeting. 

Except that it never happened. When the next week came, Hatter was met with a stranger, a suit just there to make the deliveries, have the Hatter sign for them and leave him be. Something must have happened to the Prince, yet there was no safe way to contact him to find out. 

The next week, Hatter began to worry. There was still no sign of the Prince. What if he had blown his cover? What if he had been sentenced to a beheading? There were so many horrible scenarios in his head that Hatter was having a difficult time sleeping. Constantly he would awake in the middle of the night to a shuffle outside, afraid it was the Queens henchmen out to get him. 

Weeks later the Hatter prepared for his anxiety to kick in when a familiar step walked through the door. It was Jack. The Hatter let go of his breathe and stood to greet the Prince. "I was beginning to think I'd never see you again." He said, genuinely grateful that Jack was still alive. Although his thoughts didn't last long before Jack was pushing him through the hallway and out the door, clapping a hand over his mouth. His breathe quickened against his hand, afraid that maybe Jack had turned against him somehow. They stood there for a moment before Jack started to whisper.

"The suits have bugged the tea house. You've been listened to for the last couple of weeks. We need to find somewhere else to meet, somewhere safe." It was difficult to agree to anything when the Prince's body was pressed so tightly against his. He was sure if he hadn't noticed Hatter's erection that he was probably a robot sent to destroy him. However, merely seconds later the look on Jacks face suggested that he was in fact still organic. 

Hatter gulped and finally decided to speak. "We could go to the library. I'd say it's the one place the suits haven't been able to touch." Jack agreed and let go of Hatter to allow him to lead them there. 

Hatter readjusted his coat and took a deep breathe. He took one more look at the Prince who looked somehow different to him. It wasn't that he'd changed anything about his appearance, just that his expression was one Hatter had never seen before. It was a sort of concerned look. Finally he began to step quickly toward the door that lead them to the bus. 

He couldn't explain why his heart was racing, or why he secretly enjoyed sneaking off with Jack, but there were so many things he wanted to say to Jack right then. The bus lift was as shaky as usual and Hatter quietly wondered to himself what Jack was thinking. When they arrived at the library, Hatter escorted him into a room filled with boxes. He shut the door, searched around the room and pulled out a couple of chairs. 

There is a long silence before someone decided to finally speak. "What happened?" asked the Hatter, finally breaking the silence. 

The Prince looked up from the spot on the ground he was staring at with a pained look on his face. "The banquet was a success. The Queen raised enough funds to both staff hundreds of teams through the looking glass and for her upgraded lab equipment. I've been assigned to help in overseeing the upgrades so she has given my tasks to the suits."

This was big news. Dodo had predicted wrongly about the need to strike and the consequences would be many. Hatter sat back in his chair and took it all in. "What are we going to do?" He asked, which seemed to alarm Jack as his left brow raised in confusion. Hatter didn't often let himself be seen as hopeless but right now he couldn't be anything but.

Regardless the Prince continued. "You must keep up your tea shop, she mustn't know anything is the matter. Contact Dodo immediately to tell him the news and make sure that it goes up the chain of command very quickly. We'll meet but not in the shop, and not here either. There is a cabin in the woods, I'm sure that you know where it's at. I will meet you there tomorrow, mid-day." With this he looked at Hatter directly in the eyes. "Be very discreet. You are a very important piece in this process and I won't have you caught." 

That last part almost sounded endearing to Hatter, a sort of aggressive concern. Hatter simply nodded his head as words hadn't yet been popping up in Hatters usually abundant vocabulary. The Prince stood and placed a warm hand on Hatters shoulder as he leaned down in front of him. "I trust you my brother. It is up to us now and we must fight for what is right."

Hatter looked up at Jack as the brevity of the situation smeared across his face and he gulped. "Alright."


	7. Chapter 7

The next day Jack was passing by his mothers office when he heard her speaking very loudly to a couple of suits. "I want that place ransacked. If there is information there, I want you to get it out!" She yelled and as he heard a shuffle of suits scamper past he hid behind the door. Whatever faction of the resistance she seemed to have found was going to get it that was for sure. 

Later on the Prince headed into the woods, donning a hat and coat as a disguise. He remembered these woods very well. He often found himself escaping here as a young man. He remembered every mossy step that might trip him, every sound that jabberwock made to alert him of danger and all the individual trees. When he came to the cabin, however, he did not see what he expected. Hatter was no where to be found. First he checked inside, then around back, then in all the surrounding areas. It wasn't until he reached a good 30 yards out that he finally found Hatter, leaned up against a tree. It took him a moment to realize it but as he neared he noticed a small pool of blood next to him. Jack immediately picked up the pace and ran toward Hatter who he noticed now was as pale as a flower. 

As he approached he quickly kneeled, sliding up against the leaves to meet Hatter. "Are you hurt?" He asked but the question was clear from Hatters heavy breathe and from the amount of blood he'd lost.

Through strained vocal chords Hatter replied. "They ransacked the shop. I was out for a walk and when I came back they were rummaging through all my things. I tried to get out in time but they saw me, chased me and shot me." For how out of it he seemed, Hatter was intent on staring him directly in the eyes. He remembered those eyes and they seemed so much more familiar now in this setting. He winced before he spoke again. "I think I lost them but they'll be back soon enough." 

There was only one explanation for this, and that was that she knew and she sent reinforcements to destroy Hatter for helping her son rebel. She was going to...and before he could finish that thought he felt a cold hand against his neck, Hatters, pulling him forward into a sweet kiss that last only for a moment. He eyes closed instinctively as he felt the sweet soft lips of Hatter who seemed much more tender than usual. It was a micro explosion that dominated every nerve before his ears picked up on some sound. He pulled back and Hatter immediately became unconscious. 

He did the only thing he could think to do and wrapped his arms around Hatter, lifting him up to take them somewhere safer. The Cabin was the best bet as it was obstructed from most angles and they would probably skip over it entirely, searching for them . He raced through the wood as fast as he could with Hatter draped over his arms. He was lucky that he knew the woods so well or else he might have stumbled and hurt the both of them. 

When they finally made it to the cabin Jack gently laid Hatter down on a meager bed and quickly tended to his wounds. As he expected, the suits passed by then several times over and did not once stumble upon them and by morning, he'd begun not to even notice the fatigue. 

\-----------------------------------

He should have gone home during the night, the Queen would really know something was going on with her son not present in the Casino. However, when it came down to it, Jack knew that she would know either way and the longer he kept himself away, the longer he could avoid a beheading. He wasn't sure how it came to this or even why he chose to protect this barely important resistance volunteer, but it seemed this was his place now and he would his very best to come up with a plan. 

And then there was the kiss, the sweet soft kiss that came and went before any words were spoken. It laid there in the air, staring down at Jack with angry eyes. What did it mean? Why did Jack find that he could not stop thinking about it, feeling the remnants of Hatter's cold flesh against his warmer flesh? Clearly Hatter had done a number on his head and at the very least he'd get Hatter better long enough to make sense of all of it.

He finally awoke the next evening. Jack was preparing a stew when Hatter sat up in a horrific scream. He grabbed his head in pain afterward and laid back down on the bed. Jack stirred his stew for a moment before gently tapping it against the pot and placing it next to the burner. "How are you feeling?" Jack said before turning around to face him. 

Hatter pressed a palm into his forehead. "Like I've been shot out of a cannon." The words lacked the usual pep and came out of his mouth dry and soured. "Where are we?" He asked, looking around to see nothing familiar whatsoever. 

Jack stepped forward and leaned by the bedside. "We're in a cabin in the woods. You were shot in the left arm and you took a pretty nasty blow to the head. How is your memory?" 

Hatter then looked at Jack, it seemed a faint realization came to mind. "I remember who you are if that's the question, but not much else to be entirely honest." Replied Hatter and suddenly the Prince felt at a loss. Perhaps he'd forgotten the kiss. 

Jack sighed and bent his knees to the ground to sit upon them. "Your shop was ransacked, the suits found you, followed you into the the woods and shot you."

Again Hatter grabbed his head as the memories began to flow in. "My shop, it's compromised. I'll never be able to return or even get anywhere near it." It seemed as if the pain shot up to his head every time he thought about it.

Having stewed in it all night the Prince was unable to keep the one question he'd been dying to ask in any longer. "Do you remember...kissing me?" He asked and the look on Hatters face changed from pained to horrified. Clearly he realized what he'd done and looked as if he was searching his brain for words.

It shocked Jack how quickly Hatter responded. "No." He said, although something in his expression said he did. "I was pretty out of it, eh?" 

Jack felt his heart sink into the bottom of his chest and he gulped before he responded. "Yes. You immediately blacked out and I carried you back here." Somewhere inside of him the Prince thought that it couldn't be that easy. He knew that it didn't resolve anything and that he'd have to bring it up at a later time.

"I've made stew. You haven't eaten all day, you should have some." He said and immediately stood up to pour hatter a spot of stew. "You should stay rested for a few days still, until your stitches have healed a bit." At this, Hatter glanced at his arm. It was swollen and neatly stitched with string but it still looked rather nasty. Jack walked over with a bowl of stew and a spoon and held it up to the Hatters mouth. 

"I can very well eat my own food." Hatter retorted, an angry look on his face. Jack didn't blame him, no one wanted to be treated like a child but it was best for him not to extend his arm. 

"Your dominant arm was shot, your right arm is good but it doesn't have the same strength in activities as your left. If you try to eat you'll rip out your stitches." Hatter still didn't seemed satisfied and sulked with a closed mouth. "It's only for a few days." He assured Hatter and finally the wild hair, wild eyed man agreed and opened his mouth to take in the food. 

He shoveled the stew, now only slightly warm, stew into Hatters mouth and he chewed appreciatively. Hatters eyes never left the Prince's face as he chewed. As soon as he swallowed he spoke again. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" He asked and for the first time Jack was rendered speechless. It was only momentary as his answer came out as almost a jumble. "I told you. You're a very important part of the resistance and I will not have you hurt."

With that the Hatter took another spoonful, chewed and swallowed. "I see." He responded and after a few more bites, slept until the next day.


	8. Chapter 8

It was dark when Hatter woke again but this time Jack was nowhere to be found. It was colder than usual and Hatter had a splitting headache. Memories started to pour in from out of thin air it seemed and he clutched his head in agony. 

He hadn't thought of it as any other day, really, except that he was meeting in a secret location with Jack and he wondered what it was the Prince had planned. Otherwise his morning walk was just like anything. He hadn't the chance to speak to Dodo yet but he could do that once he'd opened the shop up for a day. He turned a corner toward his shop when he quickly stepped back for a minute. He dipped his head over the wall to see several suits and a very horrifying man interrogating his patrons and ransacking his shop. 

It wasn't easy for him, having all of these memories rush back to him while his head throbbed and his arm ached. But that was it, what ever happened past that was a complete blur, well except of course for the kiss. He felt bloody well stupid that he'd let his guard down. Perhaps at the time he thought it might be the last. Buy for having his memory go all wonky it seemed utterly convenient that his mind chose not to forget it. 

He hoisted his legs off the bed and stretched one arm out, careful not to extend the other. He rubbed his eyes in the dark room, he couldn't see Jack even if he'd been fully awake. "Prince?" He called out but got no response. It sent a chill down his bones and he carefully opened the door to the outside world. 

By a fire outside sat the Prince, looking into it, as if his mind was fighting in a battle against reality. Perhaps it was. Hatter pulled a blanket around his shoulders and sat next to Jack. They stay silent for a while when Hatter feels now that the silence doesn't fit his mood. "So then Prince, what's the plan?"

To that Jack bared his teeth a bit. "We stay here." He said simply, and Hatters face dropped. 

"That's it? 'We stay here'? What sort of shit plan is that?" It didn't seem that Jack had any sort of plan at all, and Hatter was growing impatient. There was a resistance happening and they needed to be apart of it.

"There's no other choice." Jack said, almost immediately. "If I go back to the casino, it'll be my head and you've compromised your cover."

"The Resistance can..." Hatter started but was interrupted by the Prince. 

"The Resistance has been compromised. It would be suicide to associate with you." And he wasn't sure what being stabbed a thousand times was like but he was fairly certain it felt a bit like this. 

"Well you don't have to be rude about it." He simply remarked, watching the Prince's face go from angered to a smile, a genuine smile. In fact he was pretty sure it was the first smile of Jack's he'd ever truly seen. It caused Hatter to join in, no doubt donning those annoying dimples he was cursed with. 

"You look tired." Hatter said after a moment of slice between them. Jacks eyes were glazed over and his expression pained. It looked as if he'd been up for days. 

The Prince sighed and bowed his head. "I've been keeping watch while you rest." He responded wearily.

Hatter watched him for a moment, wondering if he'd let himself sleep or if he was really just doing this for Hatter. 

"Prince.." He began but before he could finish he was interrupted. 

"Call me Jack, I'm not a Prince anymore." It seemed almost morose the way he said it although he doubted Jack really ever wanted to be in the first place. 

"Jack.." Hatter continued. "I've got a splitting headache and won't be able to sleep for a couple of hours still. Why don't you lay down for a couple of hours and I'll keep watch?" Jacks head raised to look at him as his own eyebrows raised. A bittersweet smile came to his face and he nodded. "Well then go have a lay down. I'll let you know when I'm tired."

Jack stood and turned to walk back into the cabin. Before he began to walk though he rested a hand on Hatters shoulder, only for a moment, but it felt like eternity. Or at least Hatter wished it would be. Jack retired into the cabin as Hatter prepared to keep watch for a long while. 

\---------------

By the time the sunrise came Hatters headache had lessened and he thanked his body and immune system for that. The fire had gone out hours ago and the warm sun shone on his face. While the rest of his body was still cold it didn't seem to matter much to him. Just then, a shuffle in the wood, something scurrying about. Could be a Jabberwock, they were known to run wild in these woods. 

Hatter stood and slowly backed up into the cabin. Careful to be very quiet with the door. When he looked at the bed, Jack looked peaceful. It was the first time he'd seen him truly at rest. It pained him to do so but he quickly shook him with his good arm and looked at the door. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "Jack...Jack there's somethin' out there. Could be a Jabberwock."

Jack sat up immediately, reoriented his vision and grabbed a shotgun from underneath the bed before opening the door slightly to peek outside. "It's over the hill to the north. It probably won't pass through here but we should stay inside just to be safe." He whispered, shutting the door quietly. "How long has it been out there?" 

Hatter was freaking now. Those things were terrifying and while he had been able to outrun them before, he feared his stamina was not up to par this time around. "I-I don't know. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes?" 

"If we keep our voices down it should just pass right by us." Jack warned, peering out of the window every couple of seconds. 

"Shouldn't be a problem as I'm ten seconds away from soiling my trousers." Hatter retorted, careful to keep quiet. 

Just then is when Hatters next memory began to surface. It came slow at first as Hatter pushed the bridge of his nose between two fingers on his right hand. Then it came like a blast and Hatter couldn't stop himself from screaming in pain.

He remembered making his way to the dock, his breathe short and his gut aching. If he was going to somehow get out of this mess, it was going to be on a boat off to the forest where he could hide. The suits followed closely behind him, almost at his tail but always a step behind. By the time he'd made it to the doc a very strong and frightening man with an evil grin grasped his foot and he fell half into the boat and half out onto the dock. He kicked him as hard as he could and still his grip persisted. 

The only thing left to do was start the engine and so the Hatter used all of his remaining strength to lean over and pull the rope and the engine purred into the life. This gave him enough pull to break free from the man before he started shooting at him. 

Now they were back in the cabin and his ears were ringing with the sound of a Jabberwock growling at them. Jacks hand was over his mouth, his other on Hatters belly, the rifle hanging down from one of his fingers. It was just outside and Hatter practically summoned it. On top of it all his head was killing him. 

The Jabberwock was banging it's round head against the window, getting dangerously close to breaking it open. Jack chose this moment to raise his rifle and just as the window smashed into pieces he shot the creature straight through the head. It collapsed, bloody and heavy in the window sill. 

It was then that Hatter realized he couldn't breathe.


	9. Chapter 9

Hatters breathe began to quicken and it seemed his airways were constricting. The Jabberwock was dead so immediate threat had nothing to do with it. Perhaps he was having a panic attack. Jack had clamped his hand over Hatters mouth due to him screaming a loud scream before doubling over in pain. Jack was unsure what could have happened to cause it but the loud noise was enough to send the Jabberwock straight for them.

But that wasn't the problem now, the problem was that Hatter was gasping for breathe and Jack was completely unknowledgeable on how to counteract it. He let go of Hatter and searched for a bag, hoping it might help regulate his airflow. He found one brown and paper underneath the sink but minutes into Hatter using it, the bloody thing didn't seem to do a thing. 

At this point the Hatter was beginning to look weak and without air wasn't going to survive much longer. 

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, recalling a time when his father advised him to trust his instincts. He was a young boy, perhaps 7 or 8, and he was having a hard time because he was unable to make a decision on what toy to play with. The King sat him down on his lap in the nursery that his mother kept him in until he was a teenager and asked him what the matter was. 

"I can't decide if I want a pony or a shark." Said the young Prince, looking up at his father for answers. "Which one should I choose?"

The King grunted and nodded his head before he spoke. "I can't make that decision for you, you must consult your instincts."

And when he opened his eyes and saw Hatter taking what might be his last breaths Jack did what his instincts told him, grabbed Hatter by the arms and pulled his chest up against his own. He breathed normally, hoping that his regular breathing might influence Hatter to regulate his own. 

It didn't seem to work at first but the longer Jack held Hatter in his arms the more his body seemed to relax. For Jack it seemed the opposite, the longer he held Hatter the more his heart began to race, as if he were catching the panic from Hatter. When it seemed like his breathing had resumed normalcy he backed up and let the Hatter go. 

"Why are we here?" Hatter asked, which seemed really out of the blue.

"I've just saved your life...twice and you're asking me why we're here?" The Prince responded, subtly trying to avoid the Hatters question. The truth was that he had no idea what they were doing there.

"Well I don't see anybody else around to answer the question." Hatters words seemed to bite this time, his chest heaving and his cheeks ruddy.

"I told you before, you're an important part of the resistance. If I didn't save you all would be lost. We're hiding out here until we can safely journey to meet with the resistance." Suddenly Jack felt like he was on the chopping block, accused of caring too much. His heart raced to the rising intensity of Hatters anger. 

Hatter lunged forward, poking his finger in Jacks face. "You said it so yourself, my cover has been compromised. The Resistance wouldn't want me back if I begged." 

Jack sighed and sat down on the bed, the head of a Jabberwock still hanging from the window. "I acted impulsively and now we're both here and both stuck until we can figure something out." Jack felt defeated and by this one man who, despite his familiarity, was nothing more than a stranger. 

Hatters demeanor changed and it almost seemed as if he was empathetic. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit fucked up right now." His eyes kept their focus on the floorboards and kept his eyes expertly hidden under a mop of hair. "We should go out into the woods in a couple of days. Map the surrounding areas out and maybe gather some supplies. You seem well stocked but there are definitely a few necessities that are due to run out very soon." 

Jack let himself smile as Hatter got straight to a plan. He found his sudden forgiveness endearing. And before he could stop his mind from wandering there he began to think about the kiss. Oh that kiss. So soft yet passionate burned a hole in his memory and it felt at times as if he could think of nothing but. It must have looked like he was distracted because Hatter snapped his fingers at Jack. 

"In the meantime, let's play a game of cards or something, I need to relax and I don't see any masseuses around." He flashed a cheeky smile at him, the same cheeky smirk that caused him to feel weak time and again. 

"Perhaps we should dispose of the Jabberwock first." Jack suggested even if a game of cards did sound like the right thing to do right then. 

Hatter nodded in agreement. It wasn't as if he was going to sleep underneath the blown out brains of a Jabberwock. Besides, the blood would send out a distress signal to the other creatures which would draw attention to them as a whole. He might have been fucked up, but he wasn't downright insane. 

"Think we're gonna have to do it in pieces. I'll hold the head, you cut it off?" Hatter offered which seemed strange considering only moments prior he was an emotional liability. 

"Deal." Said Jack, his heart rate finally giving him a break.

\----------------------------

 

It took the whole day to chop up, transport and clean up after the Jabberwock. Jack insisted that Hatter stay while he loaded up pieces into the water so each time he returned for another piece, Hatter was onto a new project. Whether it was boarding up the window or cleaning up the sheets of the blood. It was clear that today was just the jolt that Hatter needed to get him back into prime mental state. 

The next couple of days they stayed in, passing the time by playing cards or eating. It became difficult for Jack to deny that he had some sort of feelings for Hatter and that was why he has repeatedly saved him but it was hardly worth exploring when it seemed like he hadn't the same feelings toward him. The kiss suggested otherwise but he couldn't put any weight on it considering he immediately following passed out. 

One night, they made plans to chart out the forest and set up a perimeter. It wasn't much but it would help them with what they needed now: safety.

Still, after a few glasses of scotch, Jack folded for the fifth time against the Hatter and leaned back in his chair. "You know, some poker players might accuse you of cheating."

"Ah it's not cheating if it's too fast for you to tell, now is it?" Hatter replied, shuffling the deck for another round. He has that shit-eating grin that Jack could now admit to himself that he adored. "You've just got to be able to distract the eye." 

Jack liked the way he seemed to know how to do it, distract him from what he wanted to know the most. Perhaps that was his endgame. Avoid the subject until the subject was forgotten. Yet, for Jack, it never would be. "Can I ask you a question?" Jack posed, waiting for permission from Hatter.

"Well it seems like you just did." Hatter teased but almost immediately noticed Jacks serious face. "Oh, I suppose I could let you ask another as well." Hatter offered up, an apologetic grin across his face.

Jack sat up, preparing himself again to ask the question. "Why did you kiss me?" 

He saw Hatter visibly gulp before shaking his head. "I told you mate, I was out of it. I probably thought you were me mum or something." Jack didn't respond, how could he, he could just tell that Hatter wasn't telling the whole truth. He stared for a moment, searching for the answers in his face. Obviously his stare was enough for Hatter to give in because in moments he spoke again, this time truthfully. 

"I thought it were the last time I was gonna see ya. I wanted to know what it was like." He finally said, the most serious he'd been in days. 

Jack thought on this for a moment. Hatter had wanted to kiss him, there must have been a reason. "Why?" Jack finally asked. 

"Dunno." Hatter responded. "I suppose I think you're very attractive." He seemed to be shaking now, like he was scared or something and all Jack wanted to do was try again, see if it would be any different this time, maybe even help put his mind at rest. 

He found himself standing, walking slowly over to the bed next to Hatter. He didn't know what in all of Wonderland he was doing but it felt right at the moment. He placed a hand on Hatters upturned palm, feeling the rough skin underneath. It was clear that though Hatter seemed high maintenance that he had worked many hard days in his lifetime. The friction caused a spark to zap his insides, a warmth growing from his belly. 

Hatter didn't say anything, just watched as Jack brushed his fingers against his palm. Jack listened to the silence, neigh the sound of their breathing and could feel the air grow warm between them. "My mother created the Duchess for me, or rather the Carpenter did. She was supposed to be a perfect woman, but they made her heartless and sex-driven. I don't love her. Never have." He wasn't sure why he chose now to admit to it but it was flowing freely out of his mouth regardless. 

It was then that Hatter surprised him, yet again, by leaning into him and bringing his lips ever so close to Jacks to whisper. "Stop me if you don't want me to.."

Jack didn't let him finish the sentence and felt himself impulsively lean into Hatters lips. If he could put words together he would describe a weight lifting off his shoulders, but words didn't form and they didn't need to. Hatters palm came to Jacks face and it felt like his body radiated a natural heat. And his lips against him was like something he'd never quite experienced: not with the duchess or anyone. 

The first kiss didn't count in Jacks book. Hatter was in a fragile state of mind and up until this point claimed he hadn't remembered. His fingers dug into the messy mop of hair on Hatters head as he explored the inside of his mouth. It was a sort of bitter sweetness in the salty nature of his taste. 

It seemed like the kiss lasted for eternity but a few moments later Hatter pulled back to unbutton Jacks shirt. It wasn't rushed like it often was with the Duchess, holding on to that feeling and having to release of it quickly, his desire for Hatter was much more than just quick fuck material, they had a deeper connection. Jacks chest heaved as he breathed, his breathe growing heavy and lazy.

It took a moment for Jack to gain his ground as the Hatters touch on his bare skin was electric, but soon enough his hungry eyes were desperate to see Hatter without his shirt and trousers. He clawed at the buttons like a savage animal, tearing apart his pray. Except this was different. His movements weren't predatory, they were gentle and carefully calculated. The material glided easily off his shoulders and Jack smoothed his hands over what might have been an otherwise smooth surface before but was now raised and rough. The instant his fingers touched it Hatter gritted his teeth and grabbed his head. 

It was as if he was going insane, the sharp inhales were growing more worrisome each second.


	10. Chapter 10

At first the massive migraines were excruciating, but after having recurrences Hatter was mostly just annoyed by their wretched timing. Hatter had just been on the brink of figuring out what was between him and Jack when the feeling of the hand over his scar triggered a knee jerk response in his memory. 

This time he was running through the woods, turning his head every so often to see if the men were on his tail. For a while he was far enough ahead of them to feel confident that he would escape but soon enough he could see their figures nearing. It was then that he felt a harsh pang in his arm. When he looked down it was profusely bleeding and Hatter felt suddenly weak. 

This particular memory was one that evoked pain in his arm, almost as if he'd been shot again and again. Hatter doubled over in pain, clutching at his arm in extreme agony. Hatter cursed his body, cursed his brain for doing this every bloody time Jack and he began to get close. 

Jack though, Jack was patient and got up quickly to fetch him a glass of water. It was a sweet gesture and Hatter took it as soon as he felt able again. His eyes peered over the glass as he sipped. He took two full gulps before he spoke again, clearly out of breathe. 

"I'm sorry. I really am, I mean, I can't seem to ever feel it coming on. It just happens, ya know?" He looked down into his glass. 

"It's alright." Jack seemed to say so easily as if the whole mess hadn't completely freaked him out. Of course he had to be confused or scared. Hatter had been trying for months to bring Jack closer to him because he was intrigued by his mysterious nature but now that he could see Jack wanted it his body seemed to violently reject him. Who wouldn't be frightened by it? 

"It's not alright though is it? Nothing is bloody alright." Hatter had no idea where that came from, but it felt necessary because what else could he do? "We're stuck here in the woods with no hope of return and little chance in survival." He took a deep breathe, fighting with all of his energy to hold back his tears. "The Resistance is fucked! The Queen is going to destroy this kingdom and we cannot do a single thing about it." At this point he couldn't hold them back any longer, the tears came flowing freely from his dark eyes. "You should've just let me die." He finished with clear, unmistakably agony. 

It was merely a fraction of a second later that he felt Jacks arms around him. He should've run off or angrily stormed but instead he chose this moment to embrace Hatter. They stayed that way for a long time before he heard a low whisper coming from Jack. 

"I will never let you die." He simply said and after a while Hatter felt all of the energy he had left sift out in a heavy sigh and soon found he was falling asleep. 

\----------------------------

For a few days Hatter kept to himself, reading whatever old magic books lined the shelf of this mysterious shack. Jack attempted conversation every once in a while but Hatter tried his very best not to indulge him and found easy ways around it by pretending to be asleep or pretending to be involved in a book he'd lost interest in ages ago. He found Jack had mostly obeyed Hatters silent wishes but it occurred to him that he missed the sound of his voice over the utter silence. 

Days passed and nothing occurred except for the sheer loneliness of no conversation. Hatter couldn't stand it and on a cold cold night, while Jack sat warming himself by a fire, Hatter finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry." He said so faintly to Jacks head, hoping maybe he wouldn't hear it. Of course Jacks hearing was perfect and without turning around merely responded. "What for?"

This prompted Hatter to sit next to Jack, so he could see his face. "I've been ignoring you."

"Yes. You have." He said coldly, absentmindedly carving a twig with his knife. 

Hatter thought maybe that was the last of it but then Jack spoke again.

"I've been wrestling with some thoughts myself these past months. I thought that perhaps kissing you again might settle the nervousness I feel every moment I'm around you but it only made it worse." At this he finally looked at Hatter and he could see the look of hurt in the other mans eyes. He didn't realize he'd had such an effect on the former Prince. 

"I've always been so sure of the decisions I've made. I knew wrong from right in my gut. These past months I'm afraid I've gone against it one too many times. With you, I'm not sure of anything. My gut is too busy flipping every time we're together for me to make any rational decisions."

At this Hatter's heart began to sink and he had the sneaking suspicion that Jack was going to go back. What did it all mean? What point was Jack trying to relay that Hatter couldn't seem to grasp?

"The moment we got here, I haven't regretted a single decision." And at this moment Jack locked eyes with him. "I promise to keep you safe and to formulate a plan to overthrow my mother. We are in this together, this is our life now and I can't think of a single person I'd rather spend with it. "

Hatter was taken aback, practically moved to tears. If this wasn't some sort of profession of love, he was a more oblivious than he knew. So many thoughts raced through his head at that moment that it took him a second to adjust and respond. Instead of coming up with something equally as beautiful and touching, Hatter let his actions speak for him. He leaned into Jack, shoulders touching and used his finger to tilt his head so that their lips could meet. 

This time Hatter promised himself it wouldn't go any further, at least not until he'd figured his head out. It was just a simple gesture, letting the younger man know that he understood the point he was trying to make. After the kiss broke Hatter sighed and pressed his forehead against Jacks. 

"Let's just take this slow, yeah?"

Jack nodded in agreement. It seemed he could do that.


End file.
